Book excerpt: Amy Winehouse's recent death has made the news the world over, and despite her much publicised battle with drink and drugs her passing has left the music world in a state of true shock. At just 27 years of age she sadly joins a list of greats that died before their time, including Janis Joplin, Kurt Cobain and Jim Morrison. As fans gathered outside her Camden house at the weekend to pay tribute to the singer her icon music soared to the top of the charts not only in the UK but the USA and around the world. Never far from the headlines, stories about her tumultuous personal life, wild parties and controversial drug abuse regularly featured in the newspapers. But 2011 was supposed to be the comeback for the troubled singer and she looked to be on her way last Wednesday when she appeared alongside her God daughter Dionne Bromfield. An award-winning singer, Amy Winehouse, had won a host of accolades including two prestigious Ivor Novellos, and an outstanding 5 Grammys in 2008. Blending different music styles including jazz, pop and soul Amy had an army of fans committed to her unique approach to life. This remarkably well-researched biography traces the turbulent life of the tattooed wonder from her childhood pranks, through stage school and early music to the global legend she will be remembered as.